The USS Ahwahnee (NCC-2048) was a Federation starship that was in service during the late 23rd century.
In 2293, the Ahwahnee, under the command of D. Tothwell, conducted a deep space exploration mission in Sector 21835. This ship was slated as a support ship for Colonel West's task force in Operation Retrieve, a military extraction intended to rescue James T. Kirk and Leonard McCoy from Rura Penthe. The mission was not mobilized, as the Federation president strictly forbade any such intervention for diplomatic reasons. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
Background
This vessel and registry was not referenced in dialog. It appeared on screen in the background artwork depicting the plans for Operation Retrieve. The Ahwahnee was represented by the silhouette of a Template:ShipClass heavy cruiser in the plans.
The Star Trek Encyclopedia erroneously claims that the starship is named after a Native American tribe. Actually, Ahwahnee is the name given by the Miwok tribe to the Yosemite Valley. In English, Awahnee is translated as, "valley that looks like a gaping mouth."